Perhaps this screenshot of our old header will give you a hint about what we tackled in this outdoor update — one more small step in our long list of yard projects. We prefer to attack outdoor work in bite-sized stages so we don’t get too sore, overwhelmed, or blow the budget.
This is the Camellia tree we first mentioned back in March. It’s a lovely plant, but it was growing just inches — maybe even a single inch — from our foundation. That proximity made us anxious about long-term damage from roots pushing on the foundation or bricks. It also looked overgrown against the house, like an awkward sideburn on an otherwise tidy face of the home.
We showed it to a few plant-savvy friends, and they all recommended removing it as soon as possible to avoid root-related issues. We also agreed the tree was visually overwhelming in that spot — the yard felt out of balance with that tall shrub so close to the house.
At first we tried to transplant it. I spent about 30 minutes digging around the root ball with a shovel to get it ready to move. This was the best I could do in that time, but the roots were incredibly dense and tight, and our soil is very compact. Digging with real force had me nervous about knocking loose a brick or two from the house.
After another hour of digging we realized the roots were too close to the foundation to safely transplant without risking damage. So, reluctantly, we made the call to remove the camellia. We told ourselves we’d planted six new trees since moving in, so removing this one would free the space for better-fitting, lower-profile plants that won’t lean on the house or threaten the foundation. We also promised to plant another camellia somewhere more suitable in the backyard.
To remove it I first cut off the big limbs and then sawed the trunk right at ground level. About 30 minutes later I had a small stump left. I thought about trying to dig out the roots completely, but I didn’t want to disturb the soil next to the foundation any more than necessary. So we lowered the stump and covered it with dirt to make the ground level and neat.
I hate cutting down healthy plants, so it was a bummer for both of us. The upside is that removing a tall, poorly placed shrub will let us design a more balanced front yard with lower, airier plantings that help the house look taller rather than weighed down. In our experience, short, stout houses benefit from smaller, layered greenery rather than something that towers over them.
As I stepped back I noticed another overgrown bush undoing some of the visual gains — it was even taller than the house. So I gave it a trim with clippers to tidy things up. It’s not perfect, but it’s an improvement. Eventually we’d like to transplant some of that thicket to open the front up and rework the landscaping so the home feels less closed off.
One small win: right after it cooled off a bit, Sherry did some weeding in the driveway to keep me company while Clara and Burger “helped” by prancing around and playing with sticks. Our driveway is long and made of pavers, which look great but allow weeds to sprout in the cracks. We avoid chemical weed killers because we have a bean (child) and a pup who use the yard, and we prefer environmentally friendlier options.
We researched natural alternatives and considered a few common ideas:
- Pouring boiling water on weeds
- Using coarse driveway salt
- Applying a vinegar-based mixture
After checking with the paver manufacturer we learned that salt and vinegar can permanently damage pavers by causing erosion and cracking. So we only tried the boiling-water method, repeatedly dumping gallons of scalding water over problem areas. Unfortunately, the weeds survived. They didn’t wilt away or disappear, even after waiting several days.
We’ve now reverted to good old-fashioned hand-pulling on occasion. It’s not a perfect solution — so if you visit, forgive the occasional weedy look at the front of our driveway. We’re also considering polymeric sand for the joints down the line because it’s supposed to help reduce weed growth.
If you’ve ever had to remove or move a tree that was too close to your foundation, we’d love to hear how you handled it—especially if you’ve successfully transplanted one with a dense root system. And any tips for paver-friendly, natural weed control would be greatly appreciated. We’re always open to better ways to keep the yard safe, attractive, and low-maintenance.